Lead Sails And a Paper Anchor
by InspireMusic
Summary: After many years of fighting the Locust and losing everything dear to him. Dom comes to a crossroad in life: To continue 'till The End or to see Maria again. Inspired by the song "Lead Sails  And A Paper Anchor " by Atreyu.
1. Results

**Side Note: This short story has NOTHING to do with the Books or the upcoming new game "Gears of War 3". This work is from my creativity, so all characters named are Copyrighted by Epic Games. The rest is mine.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>I stared at us.<p>

Maria and I in this old ass photo that looks like it was taken decades ago, but in fact this was only 12 years ago. I didn't recognize myself in it; I've aged so much in the last couple of years, especially during my searched for her. I'm just sitting here. I couldn't really watch the reality that was outside the Raven's doors any longer. Jacinto, the only piece of land that we had left, now destroyed.

WE destroyed it.

Gears.

The ones that were suppose to set things right after E-Day, but look at us now. I see why the Stranded hate us.

"Hey, Dom. Are you going to be okay?"

That was Marcus. I recognized that emotionless voice anywhere. I nodded. His eyes got soft for a moment, as if to show some emotion, which was a first. Could it be because of what we just did or because of me? With Marcus, you couldn't tell what that man was thinking. The only person that would really know would be Anya. God knows how much emotion he'd let out with her.

"I just… You know. Maria… God damn it!"

I got up from where I was sitting and punched the steel wall of the Raven with my bare knuckles. I didn't noticed the blood that was coming out of the multiple cuts I managed to get as a result. Marcus just tapped my shoulder lightly,

"It wasn't your fault, Dom. Stupid grubs were just too quick for us."

He was right. Even if I was given more time to search for her, no one would fucken tell me where she'd gone to on that day. I finally walked towards the raven's edge, looking out at the never ending sea, with her on my mind. God, I couldn't even give her a proper funeral.

I failed as her husband.


	2. The Only Way

"I don't know what to say, Dom."

She had told me the day I broke the news to her about me becoming a Gear. We sat there on the worn out sofa I managed to buy when we got that apartment a few weeks earlier. Maria sat next to me, with her hands on her belly, as if to remind me that we had a baby on the way.

"Just think about it, I'll make more money if I become a Gear than working at some store doing God-Knows-What for shit."

I put my right arm over her shoulder and took her chin so she would look at me. She looked back with worried eyes, still uncertain about what I had put on her mind.

"I know, Dom… I'm thinking about when the baby gets here. Who will help me when he or she gets sick? Or when I need to feed it in the middle of the night?"

"Babe, don't think about that now. We could always ask our parents to help us with the baby. What I'm aiming for is that we have money to survive."

I knew that words were meaningless for Maria. She needed to see the action behind my promise. I placed my left hand on her belly, and rubbed it with much love.

"I'm doing it for the three of us. Plus I won't enlist until after the baby is born, and I promise to help you in every way possible with the little one."

I gave her the warm smile she loved; convincing her that I would make ends meet. We both had to, for that night that we made Benedicto, we became adults. For better or worse. And we both knew that we would be together, for richer or for poor.

"Please, be careful. Don't push yourself too hard, and don't be a smart ass with your instructor."

Maria told me as she fixed the jacket I had on that crisp morning of my departure, months after I told her about the news. I held her shoulders firmly, that forced her to stop what she was doing.

"Maria, amor. Everything will be okay. I'll come back a better man. For you and Ben. You have nothing to worry about."

I brought her in as close as I could, and gave her a kiss I knew she would think about the nights that we would be apart. Just like I did when I laid in my buck bed. Her lips were very soft, even for that cold morning. I felt like I could kiss her forever.

"Track 7 now boarding."

An announcer said through a P.A. system. Our lips parted, but we still held on to each other as long as we could before I felt time catch up on us.

"Te amo, Dom. Come back soon."

She kissed my rough cheek before I left. I looked down at the bundle that was in her arms. Our son, only months old, looked just like her. But in a boyish way. I gave him a kiss on his very soft cheek.

"Behave, okay?" I said very softly so I wouldn't wake him up.

"I love you both."

I got my ruffle bag from the ground and walked towards the gate. I turned to gaze at what God had blessed me with, what he wanted me to cherish and to hold, go further and further away from me until I saw it no more.


	3. Returning

The sound of the Raven brought me back from the past. Instead of the airport, I stood in the harsh reality that was my hell. My cheeks were wet. Was I crying all this time..?

"We're getting a reading on an unknown land mass up ahead. We'll be landing there soon. Get your stuff ready for possible enemy fire once we land, gentlemen."

I heard Anya say through my earpiece. She was just like Marcus, keeping her cool, even in times like these. No wonder she and Marcus would make a good couple if they weren't one already.

I didn't respond, I still had my eyes on the water. It looked… Rather inviting.

To be completely honest, I was done. I didn't want to fight the Locust anymore. I had nothing more to fight for. My kids are dead and so is Maria thanks to me. They won my part of the war as far as I was concerned.

The heal of my right boot was at the edge of the Raven's door, so why couldn't all of it go out?

I felt the wind rushing through my worn out armor before I hit the water below. Honestly, the water was very refreshing after a long day of killing those motherfuckers.

I was lost in my own mind, just sinking further and further. Going deeper and deeper inside my own head until I found…

… Maria?

"…Dom…"

It was her. I knew it! She was here in the water with me! She looked so beautiful… Like she did the last time I saw her.

"Dom, where the hell did you go?"

I head someone else say. This voice was rather distanced, though. I didn't know if it was coming from my head or my earpiece, but I knew who it was, though I didn't care for it at the moment. I only thought of reaching for her, and as did. I felt myself go very lightheaded as my hand got closer to hers. That other voice was starting to bug me, but as I got more lightheaded, it quickly went away. So I guess it was in my head, good. All I care about is Maria, she came to bring me back. Back home. Where I belonged all this time.

"Welcome home, Dominic."

I went inside her arms. Her soft warm hug welcomed me back. As I was welcomed back as a hero, the darkness finally surrounded us both.


End file.
